A Riverside County Sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a woman in Corona while authorities claim she and a man were attacking him and the man was reaching for his gun early Tuesday morning.
The woman, whose identity was not released, was shot at about 1:10 a.m. in the 1000 block of West 6th Street in Corona, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
A deputy was in pursuit of “subjects [that] took off running” as he tried to talk to them, and as the deputy turned a corner, a man “lunged at him, and a fight ensued,” officials said. The deputy’s identity was also not released.
“While the deputy was engaged in a struggle with the male suspect, a female began assaulting the deputy, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred,” the release added. “The female suspect was struck by gunfire. The deputy continued to fight off the male suspect, who was attempting to take his firearm, until good Samaritans arrived and assisted in detaining the male suspect.”
A Sheriff’s Department spokesperson declined to say “why the deputy wanted to speak to the people or provide more details on how the good Samaritans assisted,” The Press-Enterprise reported.
Sheriff’s officials said the woman was pronounced dead at a local hospital, though they did not detail if the deputy shot the woman intentionally, if she was struck inadvertently or if the gun was fired by mistake.
The deputy sustained moderate injuries, while the man was minorly injured.
The deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave as the state Department of Justice investigates the shooting.
